Chapter 188. Transcendent (10)
Usai malam ketiga, yang tak lain hanyalah perang, berakhir, desah lega luput dari seluruh dunia. Karena begitu banyak orang yang ikut masuk.
Seandainya berakhir dengan pemusnahan total, umat manusia akan dilahap keputusasaan. Namun, hasilnya justru berlawanan.
"Kabarnya 'Penguasa Malam' bangkrut. Benarkah?"
"Kalian berperang melawan 'Legiun Kematian'?"
Rasa penasaran soal kebangkrutan Aheta, Penguasa Bulan, dan proses di baliknya meluap. Internet, media berita, televisi, setiap platform berlomba menggegar para pengembali seperti burung bangau. Materinya memang terlalu memikat.
Perang. Manusia beda ras, negara, latar belakang, bersatu jadi satu menghadapi satu musuh. Adegan persatuan umat manusia terungkap di 'malam ketiga'. Dan lawan mereka, undead!
"Teriakan bergema dari segala arah. Tapi kami tak mundur selangkah pun."
"Baik Aheta maupun Legiun Kematian tak mampu mematahkan tekad umat manusia."
"Maju, mundur, bunuh, dibunuh! Itu benar-benar perang mengerikan."
"Di Abyss, kami satu. Buat pertama kalinya, kami sadar kalau kami bersatu, iblis pun tak bisa mengalahkan umat manusia."
Mengerikan, tapi pengalaman tak ternilai. Mereka paham arti benar menyatukan kekuatan. Wawancara para pengembali mayoritas mengikuti pola sama. Begitu testimoni mereka memastikan semuanya fakta, artikel banjir.
『Pahlawan luar biasa umat manusia yang berjuang melawan musuh tak terkalahkan!』
『Saat krisis, kami jadi satu.』
『Semangat Gigih. Umat manusia menang!』
『Siapa pemimpin sejatinya?』
『Tokoh kunci yang memimpin 'Malam Kematian'?』
Beberapa mulai menyebut malam ketiga sebagai 'Malam Kematian'. Itu bedanya dengan malam lain. Tapi rasa penasaran tetap ada. Siapa tokoh kunci sejati, pelaku di balik persatuan besar umat manusia ini?
Pahlawan asli yang mengakhiri perang dengan kemenangan. Semua orang seru serempak—
"Lee Hyuksoo. Dialah yang memimpin kami."
"Dia dan orang Korea jadi inti. Bahkan saat faksi pecah, banyak orang Korea coba menyatukan kami secaram damai."
"Iya. Kalau bukan mereka, kami udah saling bunuh sendiri."
Pahlawan besar umat manusia, protagonis malam kedua, Lee Hyuksoo. Namanya lagi bergema ke seluruh dunia. Tapi, bukan semua orang setuju.
"Kami cuma bisa lawan 'Legiun Kematian' berkat orang bernama Park Chanwoo. Kalau dia tidak loloskan semua ujian duluan, perang ini manapun tidak akan mulai."
"Bukankah Park Chanwoo yang menyelesaikan 'Quest Legendaris' kali ini?"
"Lee Hyuksoo tidak pernah mendekati Kuil Kematian. Dia pahlawan perang, tapi pelaku utamanya adalah Park Chanwoo ini."
Park Chanwoo!
Tiga suku kata itu terukir kuat di benak semua peserta. Tapi soal menyorotnya, ada masalah lain.
"Lalu… Park Chanwoo itu siapa, sebenarnya?"
"Ada yang pernah lihat wajahnya?"
"Tak satu pun, kan?"
"Sampai titik ini, dia bukan karakter fiktif?"
Tak satu orang pun yang melihatnya. Kebalikan melahirkan kebalikan, membuka neraka debat tak berujung seperti pita Möbius. Yang bisa ditebak dari namanya cuma dia kemungkinan besar orang Korea.
Alami, perhatian beralih ke Korea.
"…Menteri. Jurnalis di luar jauh lebih banyak dari perkiraan. Lanjutkan wawancara seperti rencana?"
Kursi paling panas ada di Dinas Keamanan Abyss. Isu beredar diam-diam kalau Menteri Park Sangmin memimpin persatuan manusia di 'malam ketiga'. Apalagi harapan mereka tahu soal 'Park Chanwoo'.
"Belum ketemu juga dia?"
Bertanya menteri, menjawab asisten sambil keringat dingin.
"I-Itu… ya. Cuma punya nama…"
"Park Chanwoo yang disebut Han Min-oh kemana?"
"Kami lacak lokasinya, tapi keberadaannya sekarang tidak jelas. Kami baru yakin dia masuk 'Menara Kesombongan' bersama Kim Byunghan dan Aliansi Seoul."
"Awakened, ya… Berarti kemampuannya nyata."
"Tapi menurut beberapa yang ikut masuk menara bersamanya, dia kabur tidak lama setelah masuk."
"…Berarti orang lain?"
"Kemungkinan… sangat besar."
Peringkat satu jauh di malam ketiga. Seharusnya dia lebih mencolok di Menara Kesombongan. Tapi kabur?
Paling tidak orang lain. Namanya sama.
"Ini bikin pusing."
Menteri Park Sangmin tekan dahi.
Rencana awal: temukan Park Chanwoo, angkat citra global Korea. Tapi dia tidak ketemu.
Segera pertanyaan akan datang seperti badai, Siapa dia?
'Skala kekuatan global naik level. Korea tidak boleh ketinggalan.'
Bukan berlebihan kalau bilang yang selamat kembali sudah level kekuatan baru. Langka di Abyss perang sebesar ini dengan gabungan kekuatan.
Apalagi hadiah yang tersebar saat Aheta runtuh, itu dapat semua selamat. Untuk saat ini Korea jadi kekuatan pusat berkat Lee Hyuksoo, tapi kalau terus begini, negara lain akan mencuri sorotan.
Jadi dia harus ditemukan.
Park Chanwoo. Pemain terkuat itu.
"…Lee Hyuksoo-ssi. Benarkah? Kalau Anda melihat 'dia'?"
Untuk mengalihkan panas, menteri menoleh ke Lee Hyuksoo yang diam mendengar, dan bertanya.
Dia mengangguk.
"Aku lihat dia, tepat sebelum aku dipanggil ke depan Kuil Kematian."
"Maksudmu… Hanshin hidup?"
"Ya. Aku yakin."
Benar. Usai Aheta padam dan malam ketiga berakhir, tepat sebelum dipulangkan ke Bumi, Lee Hyuksoo jelas melihat 'Hanshin' di depan Kuil Kematian. Pria itu tersenyum ekspresi mengerikan.
"Kalau dia hidup, kenapa tidak kembali ke grup?"
"Sepertinya… dia mendapat kekuatan terkutuk."
"Apa arti terkutuk?"
"Aku tidak tahu lebih. Yang kutahu, cuma lihat dia sudah merinding…"
Lee Hyuksoo mengingat wajah Hanshin saat itu.
Dia tidak mirip dulu. Luarnya masih manusia. Tapi rasanya seperti hadapi iblis Abyss. Bukan inkarnasi dewa, bukan bahagian setengah manusia setengah iblis.
Sesuatu di atas itu. Seolah dia jadi monster lebih menakutkan.
Menteri Park Sangmin menghela napas dalam.
"Meski begitu, untung dia hidup. Dia Awakened terlalu berharga untuk cuma mati."
"……"
Lee Hyuksoo tidak menjawab.
'Untungkah dia hidup?'
Pertanyaan itu tidak pergi dari pikirannya.
Menteri Park bicara lagi.
"Coba mancing."
"Mancing?"
"Kau jadi protagonis 'malam ketiga'. Kita umumkan semua pencapaian unik dan Quest Legendaris diselesaikan 'Lee Hyuksoo', bukan 'Park Chanwoo'."
"…Tapi aku tidak melakukannya."
"Itu umpannya. Kalau dia memang orangnya, dia tidak akan tahan diam. Itu sifat manusia."
"Itu bukan mancing. Itu penipuan."
"Iya. Karena itu aku yang tanggung. Kau diam saja. Kalau dia keluar, aku minta maaf sendiri. Minta maaf nasional kalau harus."
"…Kenapa sampai segitu?"
"Itu fungsi kursi ini. Aku terima dari awal bakal dikutuk di posisi ini. Dan kalau itu satu-satunya jalan Korea selamat, tidak ada yang tidak kulakukan."
Mereka harus temukan Park Chanwoo. Pakai cara apa pun. Kelangsungan Korea bergantung pada citra internasional. Dan saat itu—
"Aaah…!"
"H-Hyuksoo-ssi! Kenapa?!"
Tiba-tiba Lee Hyuksoo meremas jantung dan roboh ke lantai, Menteri Park berteriak darurat.
'Apa ini?'
Lee Hyuksoo sendiri kaget. Rasanya jantung berhenti, rasa sakit melintasi seluruh tubuh. Tanpa tanda. Tanpa awalan. Rasa sakit datang tanpa ampun, tapi ada yang aneh. Rasanya seperti sakit kehilangan sesuatu yang sangat penting.
《Anggota party, 'Nabi', telah mati.》
'Apa…?'
Saat itu, pupil Lee Hyuksoo bergetar hebat. Pesan sistem menyatakan anggota party mati. Tapi Nabi levelnya jauh lebih tinggi, secara teknis mereka tidak bisa dalam party yang sama.
Mereka berjuang berdampingan berkali-kali, tapi tidak pernah jadi anggota party resmi.
…Tunggu.
'Apakah kita membentuk party di Istana Khan?'
Saat itu, dia ksatria untuk Nabi. Dengan kualifikasi ksatria melindungi raja, diberkati dewi, mungkin sistem memaksa mereka jadi party, jadi ini bukan kesalahan.
"Tidak, tidak…!"
Brrrrr!
Tanpa sadar, Lee Hyuksoo menjangkau ke arah pesan itu.
Nabi. Dia harapan terakhir umat manusia. Hanya dia yang bisa menyelamatkan dunia.
Kalau Lee Hyuksoo ingin bangun dunia di mana ibunya bisa hidup damai, Nabi diperlukan. Dia seharusnya tidak mati, yang harus mati adalah Lee Hyuksoo.
Jadi dia berdoa putus asa.
'Aku tawarkan segalanya… hanya tolong, bukan Nabi…!'
Ding!
《'Lee Hyuksoo' ditawarkan sebagai kurban.》
* * *
Di dalam laboratorium.
Golem merasa ada yang tidak beres. Mereka merasakan pemilik darah yang melapisi inti sihir mereka sedang mati.
— "Sihir darah melemah."
— "Master kami mati."
— "Tidak ada suara dari jantung."
— "Bagaimana?"
— "Korbankan diri kita."
— "Intiku, hatiku!"
— "Biarkan kami mengorbankannya untuk master kami!"
Satu per satu, golem mulai mengeluarkan inti sihir mereka sendiri.
Saat yang sama, energi sihir kuat keluar dari inti-inti itu, dan darah yang melapisi mereka meregang, mengalir ke tengah lab.
Park Chanwoo, terhubung ke jantungnya.
Thud!
Boom!
Golem tanpa inti berhenti berfungsi.
* * *
― "…Apa fenomena ini?"
Yang Transenden, Lil, terkejut.
Dia tidak pernah melihat hal seperti ini setelah jantung berhenti. Tapi yang benar-benar mengejutkan bukan fenomena itu. Bukan pelaku di balik semuanya.
Matanya menujuk ke kepala Park Chanwoo.
― "Tidak mungkin… apakah itu Holy Grail of the Demon-Sealer?"
Chapter 188. Transcendent (10)
After the third night, which was nothing short of a war, had come to an end, sighs of relief spilled out across the world. This was because such a massive number of people had entered.
If it had ended in total annihilation, humanity would have been consumed by despair. However, the result was the complete opposite.
“I heard the 'Lord of the Night' went bankrupt. Is that true?”
“You fought a war against the ‘Legion of Death’?”
Curiosity about the bankruptcy of Aheta, the Lunar Lord, and the process behind it overflowed. Internet, news outlets, television, every media platform rushed to the returnees like vultures. The subject matter was simply too captivating.
War. People of different races, nations, and backgrounds came together as one to face a single enemy. A scene of human unity had unfolded in the ‘third night.’ And their opponent, undead!
“Screams echoed from all directions. But we didn’t retreat even a single step.”
“Neither Aheta nor the Legion of Death could break humanity’s will.”
“Push forward, get pushed back, kill, be killed! It was a truly horrific war.”
“In the Abyss, we were one. For the first time, we learned that if we all unite, not even demons can defeat humanity.”
It was horrifying, yet an invaluable experience. They had come to understand the true meaning of uniting their strength. The returnees' interviews largely followed the same pattern. Once their testimonies confirmed everything as fact, articles flooded in.
『Outstanding warriors of humanity who struggled against unbeatable foes!』
『In times of crisis, we become one.』
『Indomitable spirit. Humanity triumphed!』
『Who is the true leader?』
『The key figure who led the ‘Night of the Dead’?』
Some even began referring to the third night as the ‘Night of the Dead.’ That’s how distinct and defining it had become from the other nights. But there was still curiosity. Who was the true key figure, the main character behind this great unification of humanity?
The genuine hero who brought the war to a victorious conclusion. People all said in unison—
“Lee Hyuksoo. He was the one who led us.”
“He and the Koreans were the core. Even when factions were divided, many Koreans tried to unite us as peacefully as possible.”
“Yeah. If not for them, we would’ve ended up fighting amongst ourselves.”
The great hero of mankind, the protagonist of the second night, Lee Hyuksoo. His name once again echoed across the globe. However, not everyone agreed with that.
“We were only able to fight the ‘Legion of Death’ thanks to someone named Park Chanwoo. If he hadn’t cleared all the trials in first place, the war couldn’t have even begun.”
“Wasn’t it Park Chanwoo who cleared the ‘Legendary Quest’ this time?”
“Lee Hyuksoo never even got near the Temple of Death. Sure, he’s a war hero, but the main player is this Park Chanwoo guy.”
Park Chanwoo!
Those three syllables were etched firmly into the minds of all the participants. But when it came to putting him in the spotlight, there was another issue.
“So… who is Park Chanwoo, exactly?”
“Has anyone seen his face?”
“No one, right?”
“At this point, isn’t he basically a fictional character?”
Not a single person had seen him. The backlash bred more backlash, opening up an endless hell of debates like a Möbius strip. All people could guess from his name was that he was likely Korean.
Naturally, all attention turned to Korea.
“…Minister. There are far more reporters waiting outside than we anticipated. Shall we proceed with the interview as planned?”
The hottest seat of pressure was the Abyss Security Department. Rumors were quietly spreading that Minister Park Sangmin had led the human unification in the ‘third night.’ Not to mention the hope that they might know something about ‘Park Chanwoo.’
“You still haven’t been able to track him down?”
When the minister asked, his aide replied, sweating buckets.
“T-That is… yes. With only a name to go by…”
“What happened to that ‘Park Chanwoo’ mentioned by Han Min-oh?”
“We tracked his location, but his current whereabouts remain unclear. We did confirm that he entered the ‘Tower of Arrogance’ along with Kim Byunghan and the Seoul Alliance.”
“Awakened ones, huh… So his skills are real.”
“But according to some who entered the tower with him, he apparently ran away not long after entering.”
“…Then is he a different person?”
“It seems… highly likely.”
The one who ranked first by a mile during the third night. He should have stood out even more in the Tower of Arrogance. But he ran away?
Most likely a different person. A namesake.
“This is driving me crazy.”
Minister Park Sangmin pressed his forehead.
The original plan was to locate Park Chanwoo and elevate Korea’s global standing. But he couldn’t find him.
Soon the questions would come like a storm, Who is he?
‘The global power scale has advanced a level. Korea can’t afford to fall behind.’
It was no exaggeration to say that those who returned alive had reached entirely new levels of power. It’s rare even in the Abyss to wage a war of this magnitude by joining forces.
Especially with the rewards that were scattered when Aheta collapsed, those went to all the survivors. For now, it looked like Korea was the central force thanks to Lee Hyuksoo, but if things continued like this, other countries would soon steal the spotlight.
So he had to be found.
Park Chanwoo. That strongest player.
“…Mr. Lee Hyuksoo. Is it true? That you saw ‘him’?”
To divert the heat, the minister turned to Lee Hyuksoo, who had been quietly listening, and asked.
He nodded.
“I saw him, right before I was summoned in front of the Temple of Death.”
“You mean… Hanshin is alive?”
“Yes. I’m sure of it.”
That’s right. After Aheta was extinguished and the third night ended, just before being summoned back to Earth, Lee Hyuksoo clearly saw ‘Hanshin’ in front of the Temple of Death. The man was smiling with a chilling expression.
“If he’s alive, why hasn’t he returned to the group?”
“It seems… he has obtained a cursed power.”
“What do you mean by cursed?”
“I’m not sure beyond that. All I know is, just looking at him gave me chills…”
Lee Hyuksoo recalled the image of Hanshin at that time.
He looked nothing like he used to. On the outside, he was still human. But it felt like facing a demon of the Abyss. Not a divine incarnation, not even a half-human demon.
Something beyond even that. As if he had become a more terrifying monster.
Minister Park Sangmin let out a deep sigh.
“Still, it’s a relief that he’s alive. He was too valuable an Awakened to just die.”
“……”
Lee Hyuksoo didn’t bother responding.
‘Is it really a relief that he’s alive?’
That question wouldn’t leave his mind.
Minister Park spoke again.
“Let’s try fishing.”
“Fishing?”
“You’ll be the protagonist of the ‘third night.’ We’ll say all the unique achievements and the Legendary Quest were cleared by ‘Lee Hyuksoo,’ not ‘Park Chanwoo.’”
“…But I didn’t do them.”
“Exactly. That’s the bait. If it’s really him, he won’t be able to resist coming out. It’s human nature.”
“That’s not fishing. That’s fraud.”
“Yes. Which is why I’ll take responsibility. You just sit tight. If he steps forward, I’ll apologize personally. A national apology if I have to.”
“…Why go that far?”
“That’s what this seat is for. I accepted from the start that I’d be cursed in this position. And if that’s the only way for Korea to survive, there’s nothing I won’t do.”
They had to find Park Chanwoo. No matter what it took. Korea’s survival depended on its international standing. And just then—
“Aaah…!”
“M-Mr. Hyuksoo! What’s wrong?!”
Suddenly, Lee Hyuksoo clutched his heart and collapsed to the floor, and Minister Park shouted urgently.
‘What is this?’
Lee Hyuksoo was just as shocked. It felt as if his heart had stopped, the pain surging through his entire body. No warning signs. No lead-up. The agony came without mercy, but there was something strange about it. It felt like the pain of losing something deeply important.
《Party member, ‘Prophet’, has died.》
‘What…?’
In that instant, Lee Hyuksoo’s pupils shook violently. A system message stating a party member had died. But the Prophet was far higher in level, technically, they couldn’t be in a party together.
They had fought side-by-side multiple times, but never as official party members.
…No, wait.
‘Did we form a party in the Khan’s Palace?’
Back then, he was a knight to the Prophet. With the qualifications of a knight protecting a king, even blessed by the goddess, it’s possible the system forcibly bound them into a party, so this wasn’t a mistake.
“No, no…!”
Brrrrr!
Unconsciously, Lee Hyuksoo reached out toward the message.
The Prophet. He was humanity’s last hope. Only he could save the world.
If Lee Hyuksoo wanted to build a world where his mother could live in peace, the Prophet was necessary. He shouldn’t have died, it should have been Lee Hyuksoo instead.
So he prayed desperately.
‘I’ll offer up everything I have… just please, not the Prophet…!’
Ding!
《‘Lee Hyuksoo’ is offered as a sacrifice.》
* * *
Inside the laboratory.
The golems sensed something was wrong. They felt that the owner of the blood encasing their magic cores was dying.
— “The blood’s magic is weakening.”
— “Our master is dying.”
— “No sound from the heart.”
— “What should we do?:
— “Offer ourselves.”
— “My core, my heart!”
— “Let us offer them to our master!”
One by one, the golems began removing their own magic cores.
At the same time, powerful magical energy poured out from the cores, and the blood that encased them stretched out, flowing toward the center of the lab.
Park Chanwoo, it had linked to his heart.
Thud!
Boom!
The golems, now without their cores, stopped functioning.
* * *
― “…What is this phenomenon?”
The Transcendent One, Lil, was startled.
She had never seen anything like this after a heart had stopped. But what truly shocked her wasn’t the phenomenon itself. It was the one who had caused all of it.
Her eyes turned to Park Chanwoo’s head.
― “No way… is that the Holy Grail of the Demon-Sealer?”
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